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Pezzo (pĕt-ZO) n. A piece, portion or bit

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Potato Salad with Rosemary, Lemon & the crispiest Prosciutto

This summer has been a whirlwind of traveling, entertaining, and getting together with family and friends... who could ask for more?  

My Mom, my Aunt, and my cousin visited us in LA last week, and it was a joy to show them our favorite restaurants and BBQ at home.  For our Sunday feast, I made this light potato salad with pale green slices of celery, fresh rosemary and a lemon vinaigrette.  Big ups to Caitlin, world's cutest sous chef :)

The true highlight of this salad is the leanest, fanciest bacon ever.  Bake thin slices of prosciutto on a cookie sheet for ten minutes... and it turns delicately crispy and deep maroon. I love when a simple technique transforms an everyday ingredient.  I've already sprinkled it on pasta, polenta and green salads.

Potato Salad With Rosemary, Lemon & Prosciutto
(adapted from epicurious.com)
Serves 8

Ingredients (8 servings)
5 very thin slices of prosciutto
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tblsp minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, pressed
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 lbs small Yukon Gold Potatoes
3 large celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 tblsp chopped fresh parsley

1.  Preheat the oven to 400°.  Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet, and lay out the prosciutto, spacing apart.  Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes (do not turn).  Rest them on paper towels.  Cool.  Coarsely chop or simply break up with your fingers.

2.  Place potatoes in a large pot.  Add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium.  Simmer with lid ajar until tender, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of potatoes.  Drain; let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, rosemary, lemon zest, and garlic in a large bowl.  Gradually whisk in oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Gently toss potato slices and celery slices in the the dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley and prosciutto.  

(can be made up to 1 day ahead.  Chill the potato salad, and bring the prosciutto to room temperature before garnishing)

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Thanksgiving Recap: Sage Stuffing and Fennel Mashed Potatoes

     
Click here to download:
Thanksgiving_Recap_Sage_Stuffi.zip (6636 KB)

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!  We had a delicious meal with an Italian bent, thanks to all of our friends' cooking prowess.  The menu included glazed ham, fresh cranberry sauce, roasted squash, brussel sprouts, asparagus with Frico, vegetable lasagna, and my contributions, sage stuffing and fennel mashed potatoes with rosemary.  After we stuffed our bellies, we sipped on Rhys' homemade Limoncello while the boys held an impromptu music session, with Adam on the guitar, Greg on the accordion (!), and Anthony spitting some freestyle rhymes.  

Big ups to Lauren for your famous pecan tarts!  Thanks Kat...What a perfect night with great friends, food and conversation!

After much research, I think I decided on the perfect Thanksgiving sides.  The Sage Stuffing is a gourmet and modern update on my all-time favorite... Stovetop.  I made the buttermilk cornbread from scratch, as the recipe details.  But I left out the chicken livers.  Find the recipe form Epicurious here:

Usually my go-to Thanksgiving mashed potatoes are made with roasted garlic.  This holiday, I went with my new obsession, roasted fennel.  These mashed potatoes have so much flavor and richness... you can't go wrong with rosemary, crème fraîche and a stick of butter!  And they can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave for added convenience.  

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Fennel & Rosemary
Ingredients (serves 8-10)

2 large fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered through core, center core trimmed and discarded, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp fine sea salt, divided
3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tblsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup crème fraîche

1.  Preheat oven to 375°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Toss fennel and onion with olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and fresh pepper and spread in a single layer.  Roast until fennel and onion are very tender, tossing occasionally, about 1 hour 15 minutes.  Let cool slightly.  Transfer to a food processor and puree until almost smooth.

2.  Cook potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain well, cool slightly.  

3.  Melt butter with rosemary and remaining salt in a small sauce pan.  Place potatoes in a large bowl with fennel puree, melted butter and crème fraîche...mash well.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with more olive oil. (Can be made 6 hours ahead.  Place in a microwave safe bowl and reheat on high for 4 minutes until heated through).

 

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U want fries with that? Try these Baked Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries

I've always been obsessed with sweet potatoes... I think it's genetic because my brother is too.  Or it could just be that they are delightfully sweet and nutritious.

Sweet potato fries are an elegant side dish for burgers and sandwiches.  If you've been to Father's Office in Venice or Culver City, you know how special they are.  For home-cooks, baking them cuts down on the grease and the clean-up.  And coating them in parmesan creates a nice crust.  This recipe comes from Martha Stewart and only takes about 45 minutes.  I used a combination of baby sweet potatoes and yams.

Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients (serves 4)

4 small sweet potatoes (or 6 baby ones), scrubbed clean, and quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 large egg whites
1 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 425°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2.  In a shallow bowl, stir together flour, salt and pepper.  In a separate shallow bowl, lightly beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoons water until combined.  Place the Parmesan on a sheet of waxed paper.

3.  Dip the sweet potato in the flour mixture first, shaking off any excess.  Then dip in each wedge egg white mixture until coated.  Finally, dip into the Parmesan, pressing the exposed surface of the sweet potato into the cheese.  Transfer the potato wedges onto the prepared baking sheet as you go.

4.  Bake the potatoes until tender and crisp, about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt if desired.

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Skillet Baby Potatoes: Soft in the Middle & Crispy on the Outside

My parents and brother have been visiting all week, so I haven't spent much time in front of the computer.  But I have been spending time in the kitchen.

My Dad is a steak and potatoes kind of guy (aren't they all?)... so I made these delicious Baby Potatoes one night.  I served them alongside Marinated Skirt Steak and Grilled Radicchio.

Boiling the potatoes first cooks their interior, and pan-frying in the skillet creates a crunchy golden crust.  In the summer, I do this second step on the grill.  Brighten them up with lemon zest and fresh parsley.  They're like elegant hash browns!

Skillet Baby Potatoes
Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, Red or Yukon Gold, scrubbed, skins on, left whole
3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tblsp Italian parsley, chopped
sea salt and fresh black pepper

1.  Cover the potatoes in cold, salted water.  Bring to a boil and cook until a knife easily slips in, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  When they are cool enough to handle, halve each potato.

2.  Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  When oil is hot, toss in chopped garlic.  Place potatoes in a single layer, cut side down, and crisp until well browned.  Flip the potatoes over to crisp the skins.  This should take between 8 to 10 minutes.

3.  Place potatoes in a large serving bowl and toss gently with lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.

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A lovely North African side dish: Apricot Couscous

   
Click here to download:
A_lovely_North_African_side_di.zip (5971 KB)

This is a very easy, delicious, and eye-catching couscous recipe from Tyler Florence.  I served this alongside Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives.

Apricot Couscous

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

2 tblsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, small dice
1/4 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, warm
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt and fresh pepper

1.  Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the red onion, apricots and almonds and saute gently over low heat until translucent and slightly fragrant.  

2.  Add the couscous then pour in the warm chicken broth.  Stir with a fork to combine, add lemon zest and cover.  Let sit for 10 minutes, then uncover, add the scallions, mint and cilantro.  Fluff with a fork again.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss gently.  Serve family style and garnish with fresh cilantro.

 

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